Lucille Wilhelm and Shirley Webb Interview, July 29, 2003

Lucille Wilhelm details her childhood in Swan Valley, Montana, describing both the joys and hardships of living in such a secluded place. She discusses attending high school in Missoula, Montana, during the 1940s. Together with her daughter, Shirley Webb, Wilhelm talks about her husband Joe Wilhelm, whom she married in 1951. Wilhelm recalls how she and her husband purchased a homestead in the valley and how he worked as an outfitter in the Swan Valley as well as a sawyer. She mentions many of her activities, such as cooking for hunting camps, and she describes the realities of living in the valley such as high cost of living and low wages. Wilhelm concludes by noting the major changes she has seen in the area during her lifetime, such as the construction of the highway.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/upperswanvalley_oralhistory/1034/thumbnail.jp